A frozen wind chills you to the bone. The hostility of the arctic forces you to take shelter from its elements, in the form of an old, underground bunker. It's hardly a welcomed respite, however; the dark and damp stretches on forever, and the bunker itself is derelict enough to impose danger through cave-ins and faulty construction. The caves and corridors echo hauntingly, as though you might be alone - but more terrifying, you might not be.
Themes and Goals
The main thrust of horror in this setting will center around the unknown. Cave-ins and other factors of the setting would force characters further and further into the dark reaches of the bunker, where events get increasingly bizarre and unnatural. There would be a lot of supernatural horror, things like mind melds (it is based off Penumbra), power gain and loss, demons, and that sort of thing. The goal will be to inspire paranoia and distrust in the characters, maybe even turning them on each other.
Setting
Overall
Outside the bunker, conditions are, obviously, unlivable. One can survive outside for maybe an hour at most before succumbing to hypothermia, or before being devoured by one of the hungry beasts that roam the surface for food.
Inside the bunker, conditions aren't much better. It is still very cold, and characters will have to do something to protect and warm themselves. It's also very dark, and characters will soon forget what the sun looks and feels like. The air is musty and some places might be full of poisonous or otherwise unbreathable air, effectively blocking some parts of the bunker unless characters can find ways to access them. There are also many beasts that roam down here, too, giant spiders and unlucky wolves and bears that have fallen in during one of the many cave-ins and now search the dark for their food. And of course COMPASS has some other beasties for you to attend to.
There is evidence that the bunker was once inhabited by minors, as well as others who were doing research of some kind. They've left a lot of equipment behind, as though they left in quite a hurry. Pickaxes, oil lamps, and some electric lights with old generators are around to help your characters spruce up their living space, and there are blankets, clothes, and some preserved food to be found as well (which is good, because food will become quite the commodity between this setting's version of docking events).
Eventually, the bunker stops looking so manmade and opens up into a natural cave system, winding for hundreds of miles through some unknown frozen tundra. Resources and light will be much more sparse in this part of the underground, and the deeper characters are forced to venture, the more they might go insane.
Base Camp
Base camp would, as mention, move quite a bit, but there will always be a large cave or manmade bunk area for your characters to stay in. Usually, the caves will be large enough so fires can be lit and not cause smoke inhalation (if you don't let it burn too long), and some places will have leftover kitchens to cook in. Some places won't, though, and your character may have to get used to eating things raw, or at least near it. Natural springs are usually nearby to provide water, and sometimes there may be distilleries.
Some areas will be easily defensible, because they have safeguards and doors left by the minors or because they have natural formations guarding them. Other areas might be open to attack, and your characters will have to be more vigilant about watching for hostile forces.
Life and the Living
Natives
There will not be any natives, unless some of the minors and scientists still live, somewhere in the cave...
NPCs
A few of the scientists left behind some of their work in the form of notes and voice recordings. Once found, these scraps can help your character learn more about what was going on here, as well as how to survive in the harsh environment. Physically, though, no NPCs still exist here.
Monsters and Wildlife
As mentioned, there is lots of wildlife in the cave, little of it friendly. Massive spiders and worms are found in many places, and would need to be eradicated from an area before it's safe for characters to settle in it. The spiders can be a source of food, but you might want to detox them first - they are very poisonous, and its not safe to eat them willy-nilly. There are also wolves and feral dogs, left from the minors, on occasion, which are very vicious but can also be killed and eaten. Sometimes they roam in packs, which makes them very dangerous for the lone adventurer, but one wolf by itself shouldn't be too much trouble if you have a weapon or a power. There is also the occasional bear that has fallen into the caves. These usually take several people to kill.
There is also a strange kind of glowworm that can be used for some light, if you handle it carefully. The glowworm needs a lot of energy, and seems to be carnivorous. Feeding it other worms works well, but let it get too close to exposed skin and it might snack on you.
Then, of course, there are the more unnatural beasties. Many of these are blind, relying on sound and smell to find their prey. These creatures are also adept at using the dark to their advantage, be it hiding in it, using it to induce fear, or even using it to put their victims in a state of tranquility before devouring them. Many of them smell like musty earth and decaying flesh.
Gameplay
Game Mechanics
The two biggest game mechanics are the moving base camps (probably once every 3 months, so 4 changes) to keep things fresh, as well as this setting's version of docking events, which will be visited through strange wormholes in new caves. "Docking" may not be mandatory this time, but will be the only surefire to get more food and supplies, so it will be necessary.
After death here, characters wake up in various parts of the cave or bunker system and will have to find their way back, hindered by their death penalty.
Possible Events
Events will mostly center around exploration of the cave and the psychological and physical horror aspects of being trapped underground for so long. The events will be more supernatural in nature and will intensify in strangeness the deeper into the cave the characters are forced. There can also be surface ventures, if characters can find equipment for it, to search the surrounding area for any other signs of life, or information about COMPASS.
Direction
The main story of this place will be told through the old research notes and artifacts found in the bunker and caves. Something strange, and possibly evil, was being studied in the caves, and your characters can search deeper into that mystery - though it will make things more dangerous. As more is discovered, the desire to know creeps into characters minds, pulling them in deeper, but also increasing the hold of madness on all of them, as it did the crews before them. It could all lead to the discovery of something even more terrifying than what COMPASS has to offer.
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jackbotsattack) wrote2012-01-27 10:13 pm
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prideofcamelot
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A frozen wind chills you to the bone. The hostility of the arctic forces you to take shelter from its elements, in the form of an old, underground bunker. It's hardly a welcomed respite, however; the dark and damp stretches on forever, and the bunker itself is derelict enough to impose danger through cave-ins and faulty construction. The caves and corridors echo hauntingly, as though you might be alone - but more terrifying, you might not be.
Themes and Goals
The main thrust of horror in this setting will center around the unknown. Cave-ins and other factors of the setting would force characters further and further into the dark reaches of the bunker, where events get increasingly bizarre and unnatural. There would be a lot of supernatural horror, things like mind melds (it is based off Penumbra), power gain and loss, demons, and that sort of thing. The goal will be to inspire paranoia and distrust in the characters, maybe even turning them on each other.
Setting
Overall
Base Camp
Outside the bunker, conditions are, obviously, unlivable. One can survive outside for maybe an hour at most before succumbing to hypothermia, or before being devoured by one of the hungry beasts that roam the surface for food.
Inside the bunker, conditions aren't much better. It is still very cold, and characters will have to do something to protect and warm themselves. It's also very dark, and characters will soon forget what the sun looks and feels like. The air is musty and some places might be full of poisonous or otherwise unbreathable air, effectively blocking some parts of the bunker unless characters can find ways to access them. There are also many beasts that roam down here, too, giant spiders and unlucky wolves and bears that have fallen in during one of the many cave-ins and now search the dark for their food. And of course COMPASS has some other beasties for you to attend to.
There is evidence that the bunker was once inhabited by minors, as well as others who were doing research of some kind. They've left a lot of equipment behind, as though they left in quite a hurry. Pickaxes, oil lamps, and some electric lights with old generators are around to help your characters spruce up their living space, and there are blankets, clothes, and some preserved food to be found as well (which is good, because food will become quite the commodity between this setting's version of docking events).
Eventually, the bunker stops looking so manmade and opens up into a natural cave system, winding for hundreds of miles through some unknown frozen tundra. Resources and light will be much more sparse in this part of the underground, and the deeper characters are forced to venture, the more they might go insane.
Base camp would, as mention, move quite a bit, but there will always be a large cave or manmade bunk area for your characters to stay in. Usually, the caves will be large enough so fires can be lit and not cause smoke inhalation (if you don't let it burn too long), and some places will have leftover kitchens to cook in. Some places won't, though, and your character may have to get used to eating things raw, or at least near it. Natural springs are usually nearby to provide water, and sometimes there may be distilleries.
Some areas will be easily defensible, because they have safeguards and doors left by the minors or because they have natural formations guarding them. Other areas might be open to attack, and your characters will have to be more vigilant about watching for hostile forces.
Life and the Living
There will not be any natives, unless some of the minors and scientists still live, somewhere in the cave...
A few of the scientists left behind some of their work in the form of notes and voice recordings. Once found, these scraps can help your character learn more about what was going on here, as well as how to survive in the harsh environment. Physically, though, no NPCs still exist here.
As mentioned, there is lots of wildlife in the cave, little of it friendly. Massive spiders and worms are found in many places, and would need to be eradicated from an area before it's safe for characters to settle in it. The spiders can be a source of food, but you might want to detox them first - they are very poisonous, and its not safe to eat them willy-nilly. There are also wolves and feral dogs, left from the minors, on occasion, which are very vicious but can also be killed and eaten. Sometimes they roam in packs, which makes them very dangerous for the lone adventurer, but one wolf by itself shouldn't be too much trouble if you have a weapon or a power. There is also the occasional bear that has fallen into the caves. These usually take several people to kill.
There is also a strange kind of glowworm that can be used for some light, if you handle it carefully. The glowworm needs a lot of energy, and seems to be carnivorous. Feeding it other worms works well, but let it get too close to exposed skin and it might snack on you.
Then, of course, there are the more unnatural beasties. Many of these are blind, relying on sound and smell to find their prey. These creatures are also adept at using the dark to their advantage, be it hiding in it, using it to induce fear, or even using it to put their victims in a state of tranquility before devouring them. Many of them smell like musty earth and decaying flesh.
Gameplay
The two biggest game mechanics are the moving base camps (probably once every 3 months, so 4 changes) to keep things fresh, as well as this setting's version of docking events, which will be visited through strange wormholes in new caves. "Docking" may not be mandatory this time, but will be the only surefire to get more food and supplies, so it will be necessary.
After death here, characters wake up in various parts of the cave or bunker system and will have to find their way back, hindered by their death penalty.
Events will mostly center around exploration of the cave and the psychological and physical horror aspects of being trapped underground for so long. The events will be more supernatural in nature and will intensify in strangeness the deeper into the cave the characters are forced. There can also be surface ventures, if characters can find equipment for it, to search the surrounding area for any other signs of life, or information about COMPASS.
Direction
The main story of this place will be told through the old research notes and artifacts found in the bunker and caves. Something strange, and possibly evil, was being studied in the caves, and your characters can search deeper into that mystery - though it will make things more dangerous. As more is discovered, the desire to know creeps into characters minds, pulling them in deeper, but also increasing the hold of madness on all of them, as it did the crews before them. It could all lead to the discovery of something even more terrifying than what COMPASS has to offer.